Come Here
by Waterlilies
Summary: "I need you to give me a sign, anything that you're still here."
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone! I knew I couldn't stay away from writing. It's been crazy. This story will be AU, and won't be related to my other stories. Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any of the characters.**

* * *

His patience grew thin. Years of being a sniper were cut down in the matter of seconds. And he hated himself for that gut wrenching feeling. Why did he do it? His mind couldn't let it go. The scene replayed over and over again, haunting him every waking moment. The proof of it was lying in the room across the hallway.

The machine was breathing for her.

There was nothing he could do as he sat on the floor, staring off into the distance, willing her mind to come back to him. He rubbed his eyes, driving away the urge to sleep.

He stole into her room when things quieted down. The silence was deafening against the machine's respirations. A mechanical puff drove into her chest. A green line rose and fell on the monitor with every second that passed.

"This wasn't supposed to be this way," he grazed over her cold hands. "Why didn't you listen to me?" He waited for a reply from his longtime partner. The ventilator continued its nonchalant hisses and puffs.

He tucked a strand of a fiery red curl from her face. He wondered what it would take to bring her back. "I need you to give me a sign, anything that you're still here."

* * *

The walk back to his apartment was hard. Every corner he turned, images of her remained from standing at the crosswalk, waiting for the traffic light to change or at the local café. And then it was over, as if she blended in with the rest of society. That's how easy it was to disappear. The double lives they lived.

The neon lights casted their glow, illuminating his leather jacket as he walked through the changing masses. The nameless faces that were part of his reality, never knowing what true darkness loomed ahead. Some still mention the attack on Manhattan, but after the dust had settled, normalcy slowly seeped back into their mundane routines with only a few whispers about the Avengers.

Clint found his way back to his apartment. With its current state of half eaten cartons and clutter that was acuminating, Natasha would've disapproved of him and casted one of her annoyed stares. There was no point in cleaning the mess.

He walked over to the balcony and pulled aside the patio doors. The gush of air swooshed by him, sending chills up and down his spine. He was hurting and there was no one to catch him.

His fists connected with the railing, as a vibration reverberated through the hollow pipe. "Damn it, Clint. You're so stupid. You were too slow." His voice tore at himself.

The defeated marksman collapsed on the ground. The pain of it all was deeper than Loki's mind control. The ache in his chest was real. He never had a chance to say it to her, as she was always on the run. Budapest he came close for a brief second. They were outgunned by foreign assets, trying to extract intelligence on S.H.I.E.L.D. She had taken a bullet in her arm as he reloaded his bow. The heavy gunfire drowned his voice, but he could've sworn her green eyes caught his intentions. He watched her reload her gun and charged up her Widow's Bite for another round.

"_You and I remember Budapest very differently." _

It always had been a long running thing between the two assassins. Ever since they returned from that mission, there were subtle changes. From their gazes as they passed each other in the corridors to the times they played husband and wife. Every second, they became closer and the lines blurred a little more until one night they were stuck in Provence after escaping from Paris.

**~Flashback~**

_Hot, dry air ran from the Mediterranean into their safe house. _

"_What now genius?" She mused over their depleted weapons cache. _

"_Why did we sign up for this mission again?" He walked over to the open veranda, checking his bow. A frayed string at the corner caught his attention._

"_You wanted to check out the locals, I believe." _

"_Funny…Tash. Just go blame it on me." He countered back, "Next time, why don't we just give away our passports before we set foot in customs."_

_She shot him a death glare and kept her silence between him. Her green eyes bore a hole through him, "You don't know what it's like to be there. She needed our help." _

"_Fine then." _

_The two assassins wondered how they were going to get themselves out of this predicament. They figured the borders would be closing on them unless they sneak out to Italy to make contact with their assets. _

_Clint reached for his tablet, seeing if there was a strong enough signal to send back to S.H.I.E.L.D. in an encrypted format. His fingers swiped at the screen. "Gnomeo and Juliet for sale." _

"_They don't stock this place often," she called over from the cupboards. _

"_I think this safe house is the least of their priorities" he snorted and resumed to look online until he heard a dish breaking from the kitchen. "Tash? Talk to me…"_

"_I'm fine." _

_He leaned against the entranceway, seeing his partner holding herself upright against the sink. "You're not," he closed the distance in two long strides._

"_I just got dizzy." _

_He sternly gazed at her as he countered her weight against his legs. He looked over to see anything out of the ordinary until he felt her slipping from his grasp. "Nat!" _

_There wasn't anytime and his mind kicked into overload. His hands divested her black suit and he found his answer over her abdomen. A shard of glass had cut through her skin, robbing her of blood. "Fuck." _

_He didn't need a second adrenaline rush. He thought he had left that feeling behind in Paris while they raced through the streets after nearly being ambushed by two grenade explosions at the cafe. His hands ran through the useless apartment, tearing away the shelves hoping to find the medical kit. _

_There was no use as he rushed back to her side. Something was off…why wasn't the serum working? He pushed that thought aside and went to his own kit that he carried around. He yanked at the plastic cap with his teeth and plunged the needle into her skin. "Sorry," he spat the cap across the floor. _

"_Geeze, Clint," she gasped for air. It took her a moment to realize what had transpired. _

"_Just lay still." He added pressure to her wound. "Never do that to me again." The redhead remained silent. "You should've told me."_

"_Tell you?" She raised her eyebrow. _

"_Never mind." He sat on the floor beside her, watching the wound slow down in bleeding. The serene white was marred with burgundy. _

"_I'll live," she muttered and slowly sat up next to him. Her slender fingers zipped up her catsuit. _

"_You're not healing as fast." The statement was a shot in the dark._

"_I'm fine, Clint," she stared at the floor. "Honest."_

"_You're a terrible liar." _

"_And so are you." _

_There it was that slow smoldering spark that finally ignited. There was no turning back as the final line was crossed. She pushed him against the cabinets, holding him against the fake particleboard, staring vividly into his tense gray eyes. _

_Through their unspoken language, they've been waiting for so long. He returned the favor, grabbing a fistful of her fiery locks and bringing her closer to him. "What took you so long?" he smirked. _

_She crashed her lips against his. _

"_You sure about this?"_

"_Barton…shut up." She felt his arms wrap around her waist, as he carefully carried her to the couch. _

**~End of flashback~**

He pulled out his cellphone and clicked on her phone number. Her voicemail message greeting was only one word, "Speak…"

* * *

**How was that? Leave as one-shot or more chapters? Please review! I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for reading. I was inspired by a song titled "New York" by Snow Patrol. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the response to the first chapter! Thank you to those who reviewed. I will try my best to send out PMs as they come along. Last but not least, thank you to those who added this story to their fave lists and story alerts. **

**You'll see that chapters will be much shorter as compared to From Where You Are. ****Leave a review! **

**Well I'm going to be gearing up for the Lunar New Year...it's the year of the Snake! **

* * *

Bruce stood in the doorway with his glasses clipped onto his neck collar. He looked to see if Clint was there, but the stealthy sniper was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's the Hawk today?" Tony appeared behind the man.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him lately." He wearily looked down at the chart. His previous notes didn't demonstrate the progress he had hoped for.

"How is she doing?"

"Her vitals are stable right now." He jotted a few notes into the empty boxes.

"You have that look." The physics genius pointed out.

"What look?"

"You're not telling me something."

It took all his strength to keep the secret he was hiding from him. The raging monster inside of him wanted to Hulk out at the point to scare away anyone that would come close in revealing Natasha's secret including the infamous Tony Stark. "Patient confidentiality."

"Bullshit," he muttered.

"Don't you dare think about snooping. There are safeguards already in place in case you decide to do something funny. And if JARVIS gets involved, he will be out of commission for months."

"Who the hell devised that plan?"

Bruce pointed over towards the red head. "She did just in case this ever happened." His gaze went back to the Iron Man, "I'm warning you."

"You're the boss," he held up his hands in defeat and sauntered off somewhere, devising a plan to hack into the system without any incident.

* * *

Black lines crossed out each day. His gray eyes counted each box, reminding him the error of his ways and the hell he has been in. The trail had gone cold until there was one blip on the grid. Something he would've missed if he hadn't paid so close attention to the chatter. It was time for some payback.

"I need a distraction," he slammed the door to Fury's office.

"I don't think it's a wise decision, Barton." He finished signing off mission reports from Agent Hill. "You haven't been cleared by medical."

"I don't give a damn."

"Do you?" He raised an eye, wondering what the marksman was up to.

"My partner is lying in a comatose state because of me. She disobeyed me to the very end."

"I've seen the mission reports from ancillary staff. There was nothing you could've done."

"That's a lie and you know it." He grinded his teeth together.

"Go home, Barton. Get some rest. There's always tomorrow."

"She might not have tomorrow." Fury's finger loomed over the red button. One single push and security would come racing to subdue the marksman if he didn't listen. Clint took it as a sign to leave the premise. "Alright I'm going."

His deadened footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. Several agents walked past him, keeping their heads low and avoiding eye contact. He swung around the corner and entered the hangar bay. He was focused on one thing alone as he searched through the metallic containers. "Where is it?" he muttered, shoving aside the crates until his eyes found his newly ordered crossbow.

* * *

Bruce had fallen asleep in his lab again. It was becoming a bad habit he had picked up ever since he was extracted from India. He rolled his chair to the microscope and adjusted the lens before peering down onto the slide. The cells were hardly reacting. "Nope, not it." He crushed the glass against the table. The clock was ticking and he was getting closer to the deadline. Where was the magic bullet to solve everything?

He reached for another sample, applying the red droplet onto the clear surface before pipetting another chemical. He wished it would work, but he didn't dare hold his breath. For being a scientist just like Stark, there was always uncertainty. So many different permutations and outcomes. Like what Louis Pasteur once said, "Chance favors the prepared mind." Banner interjected in his own monologue with his mind as he cursed again. He chucked the glass slide clear across the table, sending it crashing to the ground.

"Focus Bruce," he muttered at himself.

**~Flashback~**

_The door to his lab creaked. He barely noticed her slip through the door. "Can I help you with something?" He slipped his glasses to the bridge of his nose._

_The Black Widow took a seat at the opposite end of the table. Her poker face was on. She slipped him a blue document. "I need you to keep this safe." _

_Bruce reached out to the dyed paper and pulled it apart. "This is not my summons."_

"_No," she shook her head. "It's for me." _

"_Oh," the scientist sat their with a perplex look. "I'm not following." _

"_I think something is wrong with me." _

_He leaned into his chair and was taken aback from her statement. He was trying to read her facial features. _

"_I don't think the serum is working." She wrapped her arms around her elbows as she leaned forward. "Something happen to me awhile back on one of my missions with Barton." _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_My wounds aren't healing as fast as before." _

"_You were cleared by medical."_

"_I know but something doesn't add up." _

_The doctor listened to the rest of her story. "Well I can run blood samples and see what I can do." _

_Natasha already had her sleeve rolled up on her left arm. "You can't let anyone know about this. Not even Stark, and more so, not even Barton." _

"_Patient confidentiality." He drew the liquid amber into four vials. "I'll let you know what I find out, but judging by the severity and circumstances, it's going to be a while." _

"_I know." _

**~End of Flashback~**

The cells on the slide bounced into each other, as he switched the lens to the high power field. He was determined to find an answer if it meant working through the night. The balance of two lives was on the line as he searched for the elusive variable to tie the loose ends.

* * *

Orange shadows were casted on the walls. Tony pondered to himself what Natasha could possibly be hiding from him. He focused on the blaze with a furrowed brow. He hated to be out of the loop for anything. The feeling didn't sit well with him. He bided his time by sipping on a concoction he haphazardly plucked from his bar.

"JARVIS."

"Yes, sir."

"Update on Natasha Romanoff."

"Vitals are stable. An attempt for vent weaning failed this afternoon."

He rose from his seat and pitched the rest of the alcohol into the amber flames. It was time to see what Banner was holding back.

"What are you doing, sir?" The A.I. remained silent in the background, performing system scans.

"You know…breaking the rules." He swiped at the screens and examined the coding.

The A.I.'s voice stuttered. "Protocol over-ri-den. Acc-e-ss de-nied."

"Damn that Romanoff," Tony typed several codes, hoping to prevent JARVIS from becoming nonexistent. "What are you hiding?"

On his computer screen, rows of alphabet soup flashed in random fashion. If the Black Widow can hack into his system, he for sure can hack away at her mysterious code.

"Backup system fa-i-ling. Re-ver-ti-ng to al-pha source."

The playboy millionaire ignored the commands again. "What's wrong with JARVIS?"

Pepper stepped into his workstation.

"He caught a bad bug," he stated point blank.

"Something tells me you're up to something…again." She pursed her lips as she peered over her boyfriend's shoulders.

"I don't think you have any ideas to crack this," he gazed at her.

"Ummm….no."

"Can you hand me my cell phone over there?" He realized at that point he was breaking one of his longtime rituals.

"Tony, what are you really trying to do?" She passed the small device back to him, as he was multitasking on several different screens.

"I'm seeing what Natasha is hiding."

"I saw her today. Still the same like yesterday." She sighed, "And no one knows where Clint dashed off to."

Tony processed more screens until the code morphed into several patterns. "Ah ha gotcha!" The pixelated document appeared on the screen. "Oh crap," he muttered.

"What are you reading?"

"What day is it?"

"It's Tuesday."

Tony was doing the math in his head, "Shit!"

"Will you talk to me Stark?"

"We only have three days left," his voice trailed off. The magnitude of the situation was more severe than he realized.

Pepper was tired of being ignored and pushed him aside to see what the fuss was about. Her face dropped as she saw the black ink sprawled across the white paper.

_Withdraw life support after thirty days. _

"You better find Clint," she passed the papers back to her fiancé.

"You know I don't like to be handed things."

"Now is not the time to argue…"


	3. Chapter 3

The water broke against the steel hull. Under the veil of darkness, the ocean contained secrets of those that came before. Clint looked quietly into the black abyss. He was damn sure that he wasn't going to give up yet. He had one more lead to follow in his unsanctioned mission. There was too much at stake.

He had lost track of how many times he called her cell number. It was enough for him just to hear her voice. His attention went out to the horizon line, where set waves rolled.

A deckhand walked by him with a cigarette in hand with orange embers flying about. Both men minded their own business. Clint pulled his collar up on his neck to keep the chill at bay. He watched a few more waves until a memory snuck its way back to him.

_**~Flashback~**_

_Her green eyes looked up from the book she was holding. Neither of them said a word to each other as he closed the front door._

_Mechanically, he stripped off his wet jacket and tossed his leathered combat boots aside. He grumbled to himself while walking to the kitchen to pour himself some coffee. _

_Natasha sat on the couch with a smug look on her face. She glanced back down onto the page she was reading until she felt the seat cushion deflate next to her. The Black Widow pretended to ignore him. _

_The pair of master assassins held onto the silence. The scent of fresh rain lingered in the air on the cool autumn day. Natasha felt Clint staring at her as she tried to finish her book. She repeated the same sentence five times in her head. _

"_What do you want, Barton?" She talked above the page, while trying to absorb the words. "You should change." _

"_I'm perfectly fine." To annoy her, he lifted his leg and placed it on top of hers. _

_It hadn't been long for the pair to move into the apartment. Clint had taken the huge burden of trying to persuade his longtime partner to move in. The idea of trust was a hard concept to grasp for the Black Widow, since she wasn't use to such close quarters for a mundane human life. Missions and globetrotting thrilled her more than anything else. Slowly she came around and took a leap of faith. She didn't have any other place to call home not until Clint came along. _

_Her jade eyes met with his playful face, "Barton…" _

_He tilted his head to the side, trying to gauge what his roommate could potentially do. He ran several scenarios in his mind, all of which ended with him receiving some form of bodily harm. "You're always too serious." _

_The redhead cursed in Russian. She snapped her book shut. _

_Clint countered something in Russian as well. "See I'm learning," he smiled. _

"_Men." _

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

An alarm sounded off and brought Banner out of his already sleep-deprived mind. "Stark," he mumbled. The cat was out of the bag and he had no choice but to head to the hospital directly. He should've moved her when he had the chance but the failsafe plan was all of Natasha's doing.

S.H.I.E.L.D. officers were out in droves as Banner flashed his personal identification card.

"Well look who it is?" Tony leaned up against the wall.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he murmured. "You weren't going to move her now, were you?"

"You're always getting into people's business."

"I'm protecting Clint's interests."

"Really?" He placed his glasses in his shirt pocket, "Did it ever dawn to you about hers?"

The two scientists were at the crossroads with one another. "How far are you finding a cure?"

"Not really far." He rubbed his dry eyes, "Whoever injected her, knew something could breakdown the super soldier serum." He leaned against the wall, "the cells keep mutating…if only I could knock that mechanism out."

"We're on the clock."

"What are you insinuating?" It took him a moment to come around. The sleep deprivation was getting to him.

"I can help. Go get some sleep."

"Right." The weary Banner went to find an empty call room.

Tony pushed aside the laboratory door and found it in such disarray with glass shards on the floor. "JARVIS…run simulation models on Banner's data."

"Sir, systems are running at only 75% capacity at the moment."

"Cancel upgrades for tonight."

"Right, sir."

* * *

_**~Flashback~**_

"_Where'd you think you're going?" He reached out to grab her before she escaped from his viewpoint. _

"_You're injured," she spat. _

"_And so are you," he countered. _

"_Between the two of us, who do you think has more agility?" Her jade eyes narrowed. _

"_Widow…" It's a word he hardly used except when he was extremely pissed at her. "What's going on?" His steel gray eyes finally realized something from his partner for months he ignored the signs up until now. "Tell me." _

"_It has nothing to do with you." She twisted away from his stares. She could still feel his eyes staring at her wound. _

"_Don't fuck with me," he cursed. "We've been through shit and now it's not the time to hold back." _

"_I'm not." She reloaded her Glock and adjusted her Widow's Bite. _

_An explosion rocked nearby as the assault increased in intensity. The pair ducked with their arms as dirt and broken pieces of wood flew across the air. _

"_There's no point in arguing," she adjusted her position and peeked out from a wooden crate. _

"_Nat, don't do it." _

"_Sorry, Clint." She weakly smiled. A faint tear was brimming at the corners of her chartreuse eyes. _

"_Nat!" In slow motion, he watched her leap from their hiding spot, drawing the firepower towards her. Her suit could withstand so much damage. He got up with his bow in hand and an arrow was ready to be launched. He couldn't believe his eyes as he watched his partner fall to the ground. The three seconds he paused it killed him. _

_He released the arrow and punched a button on his bow. An explosion knocked out the sniper in the corner as he ran against the chaos to where she had fallen. Her short curls were splayed underneath her head, as a pool of maroon filled the cracks in the concrete. _

"_You're an idiot," she gasped. _

"_You're my idiot." He propped her on his legs, ignoring his own wounds. The adrenaline kept his mind off his own pain. "Stay with me," he whispered into her ear. _

"_I'm glad…we're partners."_

"_Don't leave me now."_

"_I won't." Her eyelids fluttered. _

_**~End of Flashback~**_

Barton bolted up straight from his bed. No matter how much time had passed, it was the same nightmare that haunted him every night. He tossed the covers aside and felt a cold sheen run down his bare chest and back.

His feet touched the worn carpet of the cabin and he walked over to the porthole. He was getting closer to his destination. In the distance, a red hue enveloped the eastern horizon. Maybe soon, his nightmare would end.


	4. Chapter 4

The wastebasket overflowed with crushed coffee cups. Stark had switched from his usual brew to a stronger blend…some coffee beans that Pepper had picked up from the local market. Eight hours into his project and he was no closer than to Banner's work.

"Anything yet?" Bruce walked into the lab with cowlicks sticking on ends. Even with the extra hours of sleep, his mind still raced.

"Nope. Just one overworked JARVIS." The billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist looked at the random permutations on the screen.

"I'm going to make rounds."

"You know where to find me." He spun around in his chair, devising a new strategy.

"Yeah," he waved him off and walked through the hallways before coming across her room. It was the same as every other day. The three-second whistles came and went with each breath she took.

He grabbed her chart and overlooked her progress from the night prior. There were only 17 hours left. Legally, he was bound to her promise. He jotted his notes and left the wing, only to follow a hallway that was hardly used. The echoes from footfalls and random chatter dwindled until he stumbled upon the stained glass windows. He pushed aside the door and stood in the silence, taking in the serenity of the room. Over in the corner, a prayer book was opened and he saw the writings of those that came before him. The pen hovered above the parchment, as he gazed about. He couldn't bring himself to write into the book. Instead, he walked towards an empty pew. In that one moment, he began to whisper, hoping there would be an answer soon.

* * *

The interrogation light shone straight at his face. The tables were turned as he fell for the trap. He found himself strapped to a chair. The last thing he remembered was crossing through the city's narrow alleyways.

"Clever, Agent Barton. Where's your better half?" The voice in the darkness mused.

He struggled against metal chains, "Let me go and I'll tell you personally."

The laugh echoed against the walls, "I have eyes and ears back in S.H.I.E.L.D. To be precise, Agent Romanoff has only 15 hours left to live." Clint narrowed his eyes against the blinding light, and tried to break away from one of the wooden posts. "It's a shame that you won't be there when she draws her last breath."

That sent him over the edge. He was already compromised from the first day he glazed over the mission specs to kill her. And when he came eye to eye with her, it was downhill from there when he decided to let her live. Since then, it had been a turbulent partnership with baby steps in between. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath.

"It's pointless." The voice mocked him for his stupidity. "Consider this payback for your constant meddling. S.H.I.E.L.D. is an annoyance." The Iowan paused in his attempt to escape. Over the years, Natasha and him had acquired a list of mob bosses, assassins, and one Asgardian wannabe god. "And to think, the cure is just steps away."

By now, sweat dotted his brow and he resumed struggling against his imprisonment. The light blinded his keen eyesight, but he heard heavy footsteps make his way towards him. The Red Guardian had emerged from his hiding spot. He sent his right hook and connected with Barton's jaw. "That's for screwing my wife."

"You mean your _ex-wife_," he spat the blood right back at him, which earned him another punch to his face and abdomen. "If you loved her, you wouldn't be doing this," he wheezed.

"She made her choice. I'm making mine." His eyes filled with hatred, while at the same time, he took hold of the archer's right arm. The sickening sound of bone cracking erupted in the room. Barton held back from giving the man any satisfaction of the pain he was enduring. He felt a pair of forceps digging deeper into his flesh. The tracker was useless at this point. The thin rod was tossed aside.

* * *

Cold air ran through the sterile lab. Out of reflex, Tony started sneezing in triplet counts. Another cold coffee cup sat idle, and there still was no progress. The deviation he had hoped for was useless. He reached over to grab his tablet to play a round of Candy Crush, but caught his hand against a sharp corner of the sink. A trail of blood ran down the metal basin and towards the used test tubes. He didn't think much of it at first and ignored the stockpiles of the glass vials. JARVIS still performed system scans, but the AI was running out of options.

"Any luck?" Banner entered the lab.

"No." He spun in his chair to grab a makeshift Band-Aid. "Are you ever going to fix that sink?"

"You mean that?" He pointed to the sharp corner, "I've put in a work order about a week ago."

"It can probably kill someone one of these days," he tried to lighten the tension.

"Quit your whining." Banner looked at the sharp corner through his glasses. "Sorry about my mess," he looked into the basin of test tubes. "I'm going to clean this up." Slowly, he lifted each vial carefully, but something caught his eye. There was one test tube that was used as the control. Something was going on.

Tony saw a change in the scientist and wondered if he should duck for cover, but Banner raced towards the microscope. He prepped a slide and shoved it above the light source. The cells were reacting to the foreign agent. "What did you put in the sink?"

"Nothing, except maybe a few droplets of my blood." Tony backed away from his desk, "Don't you dare poke me for my blood. I'm no lab rat."

"Was it this simple?" Banner muttered himself, as he felt a surge of newfound energy. "How could I been so stupid…"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Blood bank…no time to explain."

* * *

The helicarrier was devoid of officers at this time of day. She ran her hands against the metal railing, overlooking the command center. The computers were off, but she remembered, running her hands across the screen in trying to find Barton when he was compromised.

"You don't belong here, Agent Romanoff."

"Excuse me?" She glanced behind her shoulder, realizing the voice it belonged to.

"You can't stay here," Phil walked up besides her, wearing his classic black suit and tie.

"What is this place?"

"I don't know…call it in-between or purgatory…it's all the same." He looked out through the glass windows. "Seriously, you should go back."

"What if I don't want to?"

Phil gave her a stern look, "It's an order." He leaned on the railing, _"It's not your time."_

"He's right."

Footsteps came from behind her, as she felt her breath hitched in her throat. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. Her green eyes widened, hoping she wouldn't see him there.

"You just can't." He wrapped his arms around her petite frame.

"This can't be happening." She leaned into him, clenching his gray t-shirt. She breathed him in, as she felt her body mold into his.

"It'll be alright," he whispered into her ear.

"It's not going to be alright."

"They're calling for you."

"Wait," she screamed to the both of them.

* * *

Banner looked at the monitors, as he performed the rapid sequence that set the chain of events into motion. The deadline was at hand, and the clock mocked him for cheating death. He tossed the empty syringe in the sharps container, while maintaining his vigil of his friend. The waveforms stabilized with a regular breathing pattern along with an increasing heart rate.

"What the hell did you just do?" Stark stood in the doorway.

"Hopefully a miracle."

The color started to return to her pale cheeks. A hand absentmindedly began to yank at the plastic tubing around her mouth. The medical staff ran to her side, and tried to unclench her death grip on the tubing, but she wouldn't yield.

"Just pull the damn tube out before she does it herself!"

In seconds, the tube was out and she took her first gasp of air without any aid from the ventilator. Her body shook in response to the serum. Green eyes opened to the room of strangers except for two.

"Welcome back, Romanoff."

* * *

**Thanks again for reading, reviewing, and to those who added this story to their fave and story alerts! Reviews will be wonderful. I'm going on conference soon, I'm planning to update From Where You Are before I leave.**


	5. Chapter 5

Banner stopped her in her tracks. "Don't you dare."

Her hand hovered above the adhesive tape that was holding her IV site. "I yanked them out before and I can do it again. It's easy." Her raspy words trailed from her dried lips.

"You've just spent a month of being in the ICU. You're not going anywhere."

The assassin remained quiet as the doctor fawned over her. "Just speed things up, I need to get out of here."

"That's you for sure." Stark kept his presence in the room. "Stubborn and willful."

"Can it, Stark." Her voice was getting stronger. She looked about the room in search for her partner.

"Legolas isn't here."

"Where is he?"

"Who knows…he hasn't been here for several days now." He walked closer to the bed.

"I need my phone." She shot him a look.

* * *

_**~Flashback~**_

"_What do you think you're doing?" Deep green eyes flashed towards the archer. _

_Barton leaned against the door with his arrow trained in the empty hallway. "Trust me." _

"_You're going to get yourself killed." She tossed aside the empty cartridge. _

"_Speak for yourself." His gray eyes grew wider in anticipation. "Showtime." His finger released the first arrow and quickly he reached into his quiver to retrieve another one. _

"_Wasn't this supposed to be an easy interception?" The Black Widow fired away into the enemy's territory._

"_Fury lied to us." Hawkeye scanned the area, picking off any rogue targets. _

"_As usual," she controlled her breathing, while flipping herself over an enemy's shoulders. Blue sparks emitted from her gloves that she pulled out from her garter. "What did he say?" She continued her unrelenting assault while wearing an evening dress. "Two hours tops."_

_He grinned as he picked off another stray. "Wishful thinking." _

"_We seem to get the short end of the stick." _

"_I don't mind it at all," he fired away, watching an explosion ignite the staircase. _

"_Easy for you to say." She knelt beside him, switching back to her Glock. "Why do our missions always end up like this?" _

"_Admit it, you enjoy the rush," he flashed his gray eyes at her. "From Budapest, Romania, Tokyo…and the others." _

"_Don't get me started on Budapest." She fired at a target before Hawkeye could react._

"_You play dirty."_

"_I do not." _

"_All right, quit the chatter." Phil listened on their conversation. "Keep the comms clear for work purposes only." _

"_We are working." The archer coolly responded while pulling out an arrow from a body. _

"_Let's get ready for round two," she adjusted her Widow's Bite. She brushed past him on purpose using her former training from the Red Room._

"_You're going to be the death of me." _

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

Barton breathed heavily as his mind wandered over the memories from Madrid. It was their last mission with Phil being their handler, and it was several months before the Paris mission with her injury. The blood loss was finally getting to him, but it gave him an opportunity to _see _her. The pain intensified in his left arm. He looked about, wondering if the body that lay in the corner would come back to life. An arrow was lodged in the eye socket. He managed to escape from his confinement, but in the process, wrecked his left arm further from the first injury. The stings and tingling were nonstop now.

"Son of a…" another wave rocked through him, but he maintained his focus in the obscure room. He hoped it wouldn't have ended this way…it was the last of his options. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Two bars remained and the signal strength faded in and out.

His bloody fingertips ran over the buttons. Haphazardly, he fumbled through the screen with the sticky substance until he punched the right sequence of keys. This was going to be his goodbye. His electronic watch flashed the time, and the deadline had passed. He waited for several more rings, thinking that it would end with her voicemail box. He anticipated one simple word, "Speak." His teeth tightened with every second, reaching closer to the final verdict until the line on the other end clicked.

Simple breathing was heard. His gray eyes widened with a surge of adrenaline, "Barton," the low feminine voice trembled on the other end. "Where are you?"

"Hey Nat," he concealed his pain behind his voice. He propped himself against the wall and put the phone on speaker. "I really _did_ it this time."

Natasha kept her cellphone close to her ear in the comfort of her private room, "What did you do?" Silence came across the line. "Clint, talk to me." She reached out to the nightstand. Stark managed to fish her belongings out from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s coffers. Her arms were heavy from a month of nonuse, but she hauled her bag to her side, fishing for the mini tracker she kept in case things went downhill. "Clint."

"I'm still here." The two black bars on his screen remained. "I can't chat too long."

"Keep talking to me."

"What's left?" His arm rippled in pain again, but he managed to keep it a secret from his longtime partner. "Sorry…I couldn't be there."

"Nonsense, _you _saved me." She could hear his ragged breathing.

"Who are we trying to kid?"

"No one, but ourselves."

"Figured you would say that." The two bars flickered down to one, but came back with two again.

Her eyes wandered to her tracker…80% completed. She then watched her monitor and saw how her heart rate had risen in the minutes that had gone by. The horizontal green bar increased in length on her computer screen. "Just hang in there, a couple of more seconds."

"I need to go."

"Don't." Being on the brink of death and coming back from the shadows, she had a hard time suppressing the feeling she was having at the moment. Maybe it was from the drugs, but there was no denying the fact. She had avoided this moment for so long. She had a similar feeling when he was placed under Loki's mind control. And when he recovered in the medical bay, she couldn't let herself come to terms, even though he was several inches away from her as they both sat on the cot. "Clint, listen..."

He reached over to his left arm and surveyed the damage, "What? Save your words. It's pointless."

The green bar was at 100%. She whispered the words that were held in silence too long, "I love you."

"Tash…"

"I'm coming to you."

The power bars on the cellphone flickered from two to one. Eventually, the one solid bar remained. "I need to go." He cut the connection between them. Slowly, he let himself slip into the darkness.

* * *

**~Flashback~**

_The pair crashed through the apartment door after their lengthy discussion with Fury. From their nearly botched mission in Madrid, they still managed to intercept the unauthorized launch codes. _

_Natasha chucked her emerald necklace at the table, ignoring the red flashing light from the telephone. She found an empty chair and propped her leg up, removing the satin green fabric. She ripped off her two garters that concealed several more cartridges and one more Glock._

_Clint stared at her from the door, watching her mutter to herself in Russian. Somewhere along the lines, "Fuck the Council." He unwrapped his black tie and divested himself of his tattered tuxedo, throwing it on the ground. He carried his quiver and retractable bow into the main room, and placed it on top of the dresser. _

"_Easy now," he captured her in his arms. "I know you're mad." _

"_Phil didn't have to take the fall." _

"_He's a big boy, he can handle it."_

"_I still hate the Council." _

_He leaned his forehead onto hers, not wanting to perpetuate the conversation further. "Let's get some sleep. I don't think I have enough energy to shower after that pissing contest." He stripped himself down to his boxers. A patch of scratches and bruises were on his upper back. _

_Natasha soon followed, letting the satin fabric pool at her feet, wearing only a black bralette and matching panty. Purple bruises marred her shoulder and knees as well. She lifted the light covers and slid into the bed, while Clint already took up arms on the opposite side with his hands behind his head, massaging his sore neck._

_He turned himself to face her and already her eyelids covered her chartreuse eyes. He watched her as she slept, reaching out to remove some red waves that fell across her face. "Here's to tomorrow," his one last thought before falling asleep. _

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

Natasha slipped the phone back onto the table stand. She couldn't wait any longer. Clint's signal triangulated over Europe, and eventually the signal hovered over Venice, Italy.

She pulled the remaining EKG and pulse ox leads off her body. And of course, more alarms rang off. Banner skidded into the room with one look that said it all. "You're this close…" his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Clint's in trouble, and I'm going to him now." Her feet hit the tiled floor. A wave of unsteadiness came about until she regained her balance. She rummaged through her bag with her slender fingers, as a trickle of crimson ran down from her previous IV sites.

"You're in no condition." A look of annoyance was written across his face.

Tony stepped in with his infamous Iron Man suit, "He's right you know."

"I'll be fine, boys." She gathered her black cat suit in her hands. "I advise you two to turn around and step behind the curtain."

The two men did as to what they were told. "Let me get to Legolas first." Stark shouted from the curtains, hoping to deter the Russian. The fabric drew back, as the Black Widow stepped closer to her freedom.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself too fast." The doctor stood in the doorway, blocking her way out as she tried to leave her room.

"Fine, then." She muttered. "Go Stark."

The trio made their way up to the open rooftop. Banner supported Natasha with his shoulder. In the dead of the night, the pair watched the billionaire playboy jettison off to get her partner back. The smoke from his suit left ghostly trails that marred the night sky.

She watched until she couldn't see him any longer. Slowly, she turned with Banner and walked into the jet that was already waiting for them.

"Get some sleep." With a stern look from his face, he went back to his work up front. "You don't want to see the Hulk now," he muttered.

She settled into an empty row in the back, away from Banner's line of sight. She was afraid to close her eyes, but in the end, she lost that battle. Her body was still adjusting to the serum.

* * *

_**~Flashback~**_

_The wheels crunched against the gravel until a small cabin came into view. Indeed, it was in the middle of nowhere. She drove forward going under the grove of crabapples. Occasionally, the sour berries pinged off her rental car's rooftop. _

_S.H.I.E.L.D. has peculiar safe houses and this one gets added to her list of top ten places for isolation, or so she thought. Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of a silver sedan already parked in the driveway. Instinctively, she pulled out her Glock and stepped out into the open air. _

_After a nearly botched mission overseas, her patience was growing thin. And now, she had to deal with a breach in the safe house. Her green eyes narrowed as she heard shuffling coming from the back. She crouched low to the ground, being thankful she was wearing her black, short-length coat. _

_Judging by the footfalls, she suspected the intruder was at least six feet tall and about 200 lbs. She cocked her gun and snaked her way to the opposite side, ignoring her ankle's protests. _

_An arrow tip was right before her eyes, as she responded with her own hello. The barrel was aimed directly between his gray eyes. _

"_You the scared the shit out of me," he muttered. _

_She withdrew her weapon and placed it back into the garter, "I thought you were supposed to be in New Mexico." _

"_The correct answer…was." _

"_Right." She hobbled over the table. "Fury pulled you out didn't he?"_

"_Pretty much." Just a few hours ago, he was pushing his limits in chasing a mischievous offender on S.H.I.E.L.D. property. It wasn't the greatest idea, but he had to use his trick arrow to complete the feat of twisting in midair and catapulting to an adjacent building. At least, it wasn't glass windows, but given with all his antics, anything was possible. He set his weapon aside, ignoring the discomfort in his back. He hoped his partner didn't see it, "How was Japan?" _

"_Don't get me started on that." She rested her leg on an empty chair. "The photographer had it coming." _

"_I think the pictures look great," he smirked. "Any chance you'll be modeling tonight?" _

"_In your dreams, Barton." She tilted her head to the side and watched her better half take a seat next to hers. "Do you think Phil planned this?"_

_A wicked gleam came across his stormy eyes, "Absolutely." _

"_When's your next mission?" _

"_In three days as a security consultant...out west again. It sure beats playing in a giant sandbox." He pried the boot off her sprained ankle. "Yours?" _

"_Assistant to Tony Stark." _

"_The Tony Stark?" he lifted his eyebrow questioning her._

"_Yes." She bit on the corner of her lip, not wanting to go further. Already, she was formulating the report on the playboy's personality. "I think Fury is working on something bigger." _

"_Hn." _

"_I'm hitting the showers." She got up from her seat and hobbled to the patio door. Inside, the furnishings were sparse, but at least it had the bare necessities to get through her furlough. "Coming along?" She called out to her partner who waited by the patio table. She heard his footfalls through the backdoor, and in seconds, he appeared at her side with a sly grin. _

"_I thought you'd never ask." _

"_What did you do your back?" she turned around to face him. "You don't fool me, Barton." _

_He felt her breath run down on his cheeks, and he couldn't take it anymore. The weeks of being apart were finally being unraveled and he pulled her close to him. They pushed their way to the bathroom, colliding against the walls and divesting each other of their clothing. _

_Her hands reached for the shower and she turned the silver knob. A cascade of lukewarm water sprayed the both of them. "How does it feel now?" she whispered into his ear while teasing his back. _

"_Much better." _

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

His cellphone was useless beside him, as the cold leached away the final charges from the battery. Being stuck in the brick building wasn't his grand plan of things, but it was over now. She was safe and that was all that mattered to him. Deep down, he knew that it was going to be a one-way trip. His arm lay at his side, numbed by the nerve damage and blood loss.

_They're not coming for me_.

His mind began to play tricks on him. For a moment, he could hear her voice in the background against the water droplets falling from the concrete walls. And then he thought he heard Phil's voice as well. He opened his eyes, but the darkness enveloped him. There was no one there. The coldness seeped into his vest further. Once again, the hawk slipped back into his sleep.

The scenery morphed from the helicarrier to a baseball field littered with dandelions. The summer sun beat relentlessly onto the cracked ground that splintered into all sorts of directions. Clint kicked at the pitcher's mound, sending a wave of dirt a few feet away from him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The archer peered around his shoulder to see Phil sitting in the dugout. He focused on the figure, "Am I dead?"

"Not necessarily," his former handler called out from his seat. "I don't think you want to stay here…unless you want one pissed off Russian on your tail."

"Why this place?" He took a panoramic view, thinking he had left this in his past.

"Funny how life sweeps by."

"Don't get all philosophical on me."

"I'm here to keep you out of trouble."

"Was it the other way around?" the archer walked up to his handler.

"Quite possibly." A period of silence came between them. "It's time to go." He looked down at his watch.

The two men passed by the empty circus tent that stood idle in the dried prairie. Clint felt his skin bristled at the mere thought of what he had endured as a young teen, but then again, that's how he became stronger with every lesson learned. Through the deceptive smokescreens and lies, he broke through.

"Just keep walking," Phil gazed up at his former charge.

"Right." His legs grew heavier with every step he took.

"This way," the older agent placed his sunglasses over his eyes. "It won't be long."

* * *

**It's a cliffy!**

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	7. Chapter 7

_**~Flashback~**_

_**4 years ago**_

_The heat shifted in waves from the arid ground. He narrowed his eyes, maintaining his visual on his target. The clock was ticking and there was no room for errors. _

_He was halfway across the globe and made his way to Pakistan to track down an arms dealer. The foreign land was bland and here he was in the middle of the desert. He reached for his canteen to quench his thirst, but it was dry. He tossed the object aside. It was now a battle of wits and will. _

_Why did he grab the file from Phil's hands in the first place? It was something about a favor that the twenty-one year old owed after he lost in a poker game, which was rare for him. A growl came from his abdomen, as he laid flat on the dusty ground. He ignored the bugs that crawled about and remained still with his finger around the trigger. _

"_Just one more kill," he mused, "And then home." _

_The sun continued its assault on him, and he felt the back of his neck starting to burn with the unrelenting rays. He shifted and tried to move his gear up. The comm had been quiet for the remainder of the day with the occasional static hiccups breaking up the mundane silence. _

_Dust devils formed in his peripheral vision. The spiraling columns wandered off aimlessly into nothing. His gaze remained on the outcropping that was several meters ahead of him. There was slight movement coming from the front door. Being the famed marksman he was, he took the shot._

_His target fell across the footsteps, as the bullet pierced through his chest cavity. _

"_Target deceased." _

"_Copy that." Intermittent silence came through, "Return to base." _

_Clint got up from his position and stretched out the kinks in his knees and back. By now, the sun was lowering itself into the horizon line. He disarmed his long-range rifle and packed up his supplies._

_His footfalls fell against the dried earth and he saw base camp. Phil was leaning against their tent with a smile that meant he had more shit to do. Inwardly, he groaned at the sight of his handler. "You're up to no good." The hawk placed his weapons down and sauntered into the temporary shelter._

"_You did good back there." _

"_Spill." He reached into the cooler to grab a beer. _

"_I know what you're going to say," he shoved another folder across the table. "Just read it." _

_Barton swiped the manila folder off the desk, while drinking down his cold beer. Immediately, his gray eyes locked onto the photograph of a redhead with jade eyes. "Oh fuck." _

_Phil waited anxiously at the opposite side of the tent, wondering if his young charge's reactions were a good thing or not. Lately, he had to admit there was a lot of crap tossed their way, but the two always muddled through and finished the jobs. Though the outcomes could've been better. _

"_When does this start?" _

"_Not for another two weeks." Phil peered out through their tent's opening. "Mission specs are still coming in. We won't know the final location until at least two days prior." _

"_S.H.I.E.L.D. wants me to eliminate her?" _

"_Precisely." Phil walked up to him, "Well, kid, what's it going to be?" _

_He chucked the papers back onto the table, scattering the Black Widow's past indiscretions with S.H.I.E.L.D. He rubbed the back of his head, wondering how he was going to take down the infamous widow. Slowly, he got up from his seat and went to grab another beer. _

_In the background, a faint whistle intensified. His hands twitched at the sound and immediately he pounced to his handler, pushing him to the ground as an explosion rocked the outskirts of the base. The deafening boom shook the ground as the two sought refuge under the desk. _

_**~End of Flashback~ **_

* * *

The City of Canals neared as Stark closed the distance. JARVIS had already locked onto the hawk's last transmission from his cell phone. The winds whipped by his infamous suit as he punched in the last miles.

The old building stood off in the corner from the main canal. Lasers carved into the stone with Stark blasting his way through. "Activate heat signature recognition."

The A.I. scanned the dark recesses finding nothing on the current floor. "Scanning lower levels."

Tony took a few steps forward, checking to see if there was any sign of Barton. "This is the building?"

"Correct," the computer interjected. "It appears."

"Continue scan." He walked towards the rear part of the building, "Come on, where are you bastard?"

As if on command, JARVIS interjected into his monologue. "Lower basement…heat signature found."

Without moments to waste, Stark blasted through the concrete floors and slipped into the hole. His eyes locked onto the weary form that leaned against the wall. "Hang in there, Legolas." Tony unmasked himself as he took the primary survey of the scene. His eyes wandered over to the severe injury to his arm. The archer lay motionless against Tony's constant prodding. "I found him," he shouted into his comm, "Time critical."

"Copy that," Banner received the message at the other end. "We're three minutes out. Get him to the roof."

Tony put his mask back on and lifted the unconscious archer, "Don't you dare die on me, bird brain."

* * *

Her stomach lurched as she heard the ending of Bruce's conversation with Stark. She tasted the bile rising in the back of her throat, and she forced herself to swallow it back down. Everything was changing, and she didn't want to think of the worst possible outcome. As assassins, she knew she had a finite time with her specific skill set, but she didn't think it would be so soon. And nonetheless, the same thought teased her mind about Barton.

She leaned into her seat, trying to calm her nerves down. The three minutes felt like years to her. If only she could get there faster.

**~Flashback~**

_Emerald eyes flashed into the crowd, while ruby lips were pressed against the martini glass. The hint of vodka mixed with pomegranate, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice ran down her throat. The drink came highly recommended from the bartender, but it was too fruity for her taste. She lowered the glass down back onto the coaster and waited. Coolly, she exposed her legs as she shifted in her seat. _

"_Is this seat taken?" _

_She tilted her head to the side and took another sip from the red tinged liquid. _

"_Fine night, we're having." _

_She picked up on the conversation and let out her pass-phrase, "There's a lunar eclipse tonight." _

_The stranger slid a small case towards her. "A night to remember." He tipped the bartender and took his martini in tow, leaving Natasha alone again._

_Her fingers curved around the lipstick tube. Stealing a glance from the silver-plated napkin dispensers, she reapplied the ruby shade._

_She snaked her way through the crowd, mingling with random strangers. It was a dance that she played so well. But, she couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes locking in on her. Being the master assassin she was, she knew when she was being followed. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she realized there was going to be a snag in her plan. _

_She looked for a distraction, anything to break the trail. A waiter walked by with a plate of hors d'oeuvres. She spun around in her chartreuse chiffon, spilling her drink on an innocent bystander, as all eyes turned towards to the charade._

_She quickly excused herself as she found her target. She dug into her clutch and whipped out the benign object. With the flick of the wrist, the poison was being loaded. She was about to intercept her target until she felt someone restrain her wrist, making her drop the small tube._

"_I wouldn't do that, sweetheart."_

_Not wanting to expose herself further, she played along with his game, "Aren't you late, dear?"_

"_Office work." He was playing with fire, as he placed his hand on the small of her back. _

_She led him outside in the pouring rain. The unlikely pair walked until they were in the shadows. She twisted out of his death grip and reached for her Glock that was concealed in her clutch. "You don't fool me, Agent Barton." _

"_You sure work fast." _

"_You're wasting my time." The barrel was trained on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. _

"_Let's make a deal." _

"_I don't think so." Green eyes hypnotized the hit man, as her finger punched a button. In a cloud of smoke, she disappeared into the rain. _

_Clint searched the surroundings but there were no traces of the elusive Black Widow, "Damn that woman."_

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

"This is one hell of a walk."

"More like a perspective of where you've been."

"Right," the marksman trudged along.

"We should be at the end." Phil looked at his watch. "Running a little behind schedule. Pick up the pace."

Even in purgatory, his ex-handler was still giving out orders. The scene morphed from the arid desert and now to the city streets. The cement was damp, as they walked across the empty thoroughfare.

"Back to the beginning." Clint glanced around, realizing he was back in the city that started it all. He can just picture the alleyway when the Black Widow escaped from him the first time.

"Everything comes full circle." Phil leaned against the brick wall, watching how the teenager he found had change so much. "Well kid, it's the end of the road for me."

"This is it?"

"I'm better off staying here just to keep you two out of trouble," he smiled. "And besides, who knows who else might show up. I have to keep the Avengers out of here as long as I can." A soft voice echoed in the darkness, "You better go now."

"Phil…" The older man turned around, wearing the same grin the first time Clint met him back when he recruited him for S.H.I.E.L.D. "Thanks," he stuffed in hands in his pockets, "I never had a chance to say it."

"I'll be seeing you. Now get out of here."

* * *

The ramp slowly lowered from the cargo bay. She flew down with all her strength as she could muster. Mentally her mind screamed at her to run, but her legs were still adjusting to the months of disuse.

Tony cut the distance shorter for them, as he carried the barely conscious Barton towards his partner. "Hang in there."

"We got company," the redhead shouted as she reached for her Glock. The bullets ricocheted off the brick walls, as she readjusted her aim.

"Get back to the jet," Tony shouted as he put his facemask down again. His screen locked in on the targets. "I need more firing power, JARVIS."

"Sir, you only have 50% remaining."

"Fine then."

"Talk to me, Barton." She synched up the tourniquet around his left arm and heaved him back up the ramp, as Stark gave them cover. "Don't you dare quit on me," she yelled at him and punched him in the face to wake him up. She felt a bullet rush pass her face as she shielded him from the chaos. "What were you thinking?"

"Tash."

It was the one syllable that sent her over the edge. She got up from her position and started firing away, alternating each Glock that was in her hand. Deep down inside, she couldn't let him die. "Who are these people?"

"Most likely the Red Guardian's cronies." Stark backed up behind her, as he wondered what their odds would be.

In all the craziness, Banner managed to get Hawkeye back into the jet and stabilized him temporarily. Before descending back down onto the roof of the building. He was being pushed to his limits as well. Two of his friends were close to death's doorstep in just matter of hours.

Natasha looked over her shoulder. "We better get out of the way." Not sooner than three seconds, a blur of green rushed past them with the floor vibrating beneath them.

The Hulk picked up the rag dolls and tossed them aside. He took the brunt of their firepower, but he surged forward, knocking down the masked men like dominos. As the Hulk cleared the path for them, Stark managed to jettison Natasha back into cargo bay.

She bounded back to where Clint was. By now, lines were inserted into him running with saline and blood. She moved aside some of his hair that was matted with sweat. "You're such an idiot, Barton."

He managed to let out his boyish grin. "You first."

* * *

_**~Flashback~**_

_She could tell he had something on his mind. He drummed his fingers on the table absentmindedly as she tried to read. Ever since coming out from Loki's mind control, all the walls she fought to break down were building up again. Clint was Clint after all, but the incident with Loki was enough to keep him on the edge._

_Being on a long hiatus from S.H.I.E.L.D. was another thing. The two master assassins weren't used to this blissful down time. She was surprised that Fury kept his word, even though they both knew there were bigger anomalies out there. With Loki back in Asgard, only time would tell when he would make his next grand appearance. _

"_You need sleep." She gazed up from mid-chapter._

"_I can't." He leaned back into the couch, staring back at her. _

"_Why not?" She set aside her book on the table, as she looked into his sleep deprived eyes. The sinister blue flashed in her memory when he was under the control of half brother of a demigod._

"_He's still there," his voice rose. He ran his hands through his hair. The cognitive recalibration from his longtime partner was only a temporary patch. Yeah he was no longer his puppet, but the thoughts weren't easily erased. "Fuck this." _

"_Where are you going?"_

"_Out to clear my head." He slammed the door as he walked out, not taking a second look at his partner. _

_Natasha leaned back into sofa, wondering how long would take Clint to come out of the nightmare. She tried confronting him, but what was the point, they were both stubborn in their own ways. In truth, they were starting to fall apart. The spark was dwindling and she was desperately trying to hang on as much as she could._

_Her phone vibrated off the coffee table and she reached down. The familiar phone number flashed on the screen. "I'll be there in ten minutes." She grabbed her black coat and walked out from their high-rise apartment. Tony initially had offered them to stay at Stark Tower, but they both declined. _

_The city streets were filled with blank faces of everyday life. She walked further until she came across the café. _

_A pair of familiar eyes spotted her from the door, and she made a beeline to the table. "I thought you would be long gone by now, Cap."_

"_Pleasure meeting you again, ma'am."_

"_No need for formalities. This isn't military business." _

"_Right, Agent Romanoff." He took a sip from coffee cup, as she still flashed her stern green eyes at him. "Where's Barton?"_

"_He's blowing off steam somewhere." She shifted in her seat, while removing her coat. "He's not the same." _

"_Loki, I presume." _

"_Right…you are." Her eyes looked down at the mahogany table that was littered with carvings of names. "Before I forget, I have something for you." She held out a file that she had clutched. "I believe this might help you." Rogers gingerly took the manila folder. A picture of Peggy Carter was clipped on the left-hand side, and the red word was stamped…ALIVE. _

"_How did you get this?" _

"_I pulled a few strings, but I think you should know." _

"_I don't know what to say," he tilted his head to the side, "but thank you." _

"_My pleasure…after all, you're indeed the man out of time and you need closure as well." She got up from her seat and began to walk away._

"_Hey Romanoff," he caught right before she stepped out, "I know Barton will turn around." _

"_I sure hope so," she smiled weakly. "See you around. Enjoy the freedom for now." _

* * *

_She found him leaning against the window with his arm bracing his weight when she returned. The skyline was clouded with a veil of low-lying clouds that drifted off from the ocean. She walked up behind him and slid her hand on his shoulder. She felt the tension between his muscles. He was still fuming. "Talk to me." He let out a puff of air, wondering where to begin. "You have to let me in, Clint."_

"_It's not simple." He looked blankly out the window. _

_She remained silent at his side. It was no use. Whatever was left, faded with each passing second. _

_A buzz vibrated off the coffee table breaking up their moment. "You should get that." His eyes were still trained on the skyline._

"_It can wait." _

"_Are you sure?" His voice was distant, "You might be up for a mission." _

_Quickly, she laced her fingers around his chin and forced him to directly look into her jade eyes. "Barton, it's you and me." She dug her fingernails into his flesh. "Nothing else." _

_A small hint of realization came over his grey eyes. His calloused hands reached out for hers. Every alarm in his mind was going off, and there was no turning back. "I'm afraid…to lose you." _

"_You had me worry back there," she unlatched her hand from his grasp, wondering how to tread on this topic that reared its head every so often. The memory of Phil's phone call came back to haunt her. The moment her former handler said those words, her mind kicked into overdrive. Maybe it was time to change perspectives, but acknowledging the feeling would make her sound weak. She was trained to be a deadly assassin and that was all. The less connections, the easier it was._

_Clint hoped she would reciprocate the feeling, but he knew after all he was standing next to the infamous Black Widow, a product of the Red Room. _

"_I've always been compromised." She whispered looking back into him. _

_The archer let out a small grin, realizing he'll take what words came from her. Slowly, he was returning back to himself. It was a start in the right direction._

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

**Sorry about the lack of updates, I've been trying to publish a paper and working crazy hours. I wrote a longer chapter to make up for lost time! Thanks for the reviews, story alerts, and faves!**

**Send me some early birthday presents, I would greatly appreciate that! **


	9. Chapter 9

She typed at a ferocious pace, never once tearing her eyes away from the screen. Months of paperwork still remained, despite her legitimate reason for being off the grid.

She glanced over to the electronic time on the right-hand corner of the screen. It was time to leave for the day. She powered down her laptop and tossed the rental into her desk. She slipped the key into her purse and made a beeline for the exit.

The office was quiet for the evening with the skeleton crew coming in as their relief. The monotony of everyday life was enough to drive her insane, but Fury still hadn't cleared her for field missions. The Director knew that the two needed time off to clear their heads. He didn't need two compromised assassins at the very moment.

Natasha drove away from headquarters and ended back in the city. The night air blew by her fiery curls. She sped down the turnpike and found the rendezvous point under the bridge. A familiar black motorcycle was already parked on the gravel.

…

"It took you long enough," he had his arms crossed on his chest.

"If you didn't leave me the paperwork, I would've been here sooner." She nudged him in the shoulder, as they both looked out into the open water. "How's therapy?"

"It's going…just a couple of more sessions and I'll be back on the firing range."

"Don't overdo it," she shot him a look.

"Speak for yourself. You're still stubborn as ever. Maybe a little bit more." He was hinting at something.

"You're full of it."

The two leaned against her car as they soaked in the quietness of the night. Each one of them knew the significance of the day.

_**~Flashback~**_

_The white marble walls were emblazoned with paintings. Slowly, she took in the images of folklore and history in the foreign desert land. The city was known for its towering skyscrapers but here everything stood on its own. She walked through the halls, gathering intelligence as she mingled with the rest of the guests. Her eyes fell upon an abstract of a smattering of reds and oranges mixed with shades of blue. Fire and ice. That's what it felt like at moment as she recalled the great debate earlier from their hotel room._

"_You know it's going to be swarming with his lackeys there," Clint ran a hand through his hair and paced around the room before getting dressed. "Fuck sake, Tash." He nearly ripped off a white shirt from a hanger. "You should've told me sooner." _

_She armed her Glock and tucked it in her knee-high leg holster. She walked over to their temporary walk in closet, grabbing her black bra and panty from the floor "It won't be any different, Barton. It's just like any other mission." _

"_Right," he stressed the word._

_She looked through her stockpile of dresses that she brought along courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark himself, who made modifications to the fabrics. She fingered through them before resting her eyes on a black dress with lace-capped sleeves and sweetheart neckline. The fabric had enough leeway in case she had to use any of her acrobatic tricks. In the background, she heard her partner still fuming about the whole mission. Something was off today. It was almost as he was trigger happy on something else despite their recent activity. She could still feel his breath across her chest. "You know it's going to be all right."_

"_I heard that before," he growled. _

_She stepped out into the open room with the dress unzipped at her back, "Could you?" _

_For a moment, he thought he would lose it right there again. "Your trick earlier didn't work." He walked up behind her and slowly zipped up the fabric. "I still think this is insane. We're walking into a trap. You and I both know it." _

"_It's Alexei we're dealing with, I know." _

_He shuddered at the mere name of the Red Guardian. "If he touches you or hurts you, I'm going to kill him myself." _

_She turned on her heels and faced her partner. "I'll take that as a yes." She kissed him on his cheek before leaving the room. _

…

"_Do you see him yet?" The comm broke through the classical music. _

"_No," she responded back, "I'm sure he'll come find me." _

_Clint walked around in his tuxedo, taking in the scenery. He spotted a few security guards, but he was mindful that any of the other guests might potentially be sleepers as well. He grabbed a champagne flute off a silver tray and walked over to a column, occasionally nodding to random strangers. _

_He felt the weight of the velvet box in his breast pocket. He wondered when it would it ever be the right time to give her the box. They were always on the move. His eyes scanned the room, wondering if the Red Guardian was there at all. _

_Natasha walked through the corridor until she saw her ex-husband standing at the end of the hallway. _

"_I knew you'd come." _

"_The feeling is mutual." Her eyes narrowed as she walked closer to him. Her heels clicked off the porcelain tiles. "Where is she?" _

"_Why would the Black Widow come rescue her comrade?" He raised his eyebrows, "The Red Room doesn't allow it." _

"_I'm not part of it anymore." _

_He reached out to her, but instinctively she recoiled and pulled her Glock at him. "There's a mole back in New York. Fury doesn't even see it at all." _

_She fired at him anyway, before sliding to the ground. Steel bars dropped at every possible exit. _

"_You should have listened to your partner." His voice mocked out to her. _

"_What did you do to him?" _

"_He's currently occupied." He walked closer to her. "Join me, Natalia." _

_That's the one name she didn't want to hear ever again. She had left her past behind in the Red Room. Clint was the one who saved her from herself. He was the one man that gave her a chance to live. _

_She whipped her hands behind the black belt and pulled out mini pellets that erupted in front of her ex-husband's face. The smokescreen would only be temporary but it gave her enough time to clear out. Quickly, she looked at the weakest spots in her prison and tossed metallic discs from her belt. A blast tore threw the walls, sending concrete and paintings strewn about. _

_An arm snaked across her waist as she thrown backwards. Her hands flew at Alexei, as he shoved her to the ground. The air escaped from her lungs and her vision temporarily went black. Her training kicked in and locked one of her bracelets onto him. The deceptive band stung him, sending him careening to the ground. For once, one of Stark's inventions was some use to her, even though she hated to wear any kind of jewelry. _

"_Hawk, do you copy?" She frantically tried to get a signal, while maiming her ex-husband. Static was heard until she heard his restless breathing._

"_A little busy here," he blocked off a right hook. "Where are you?" He rolled onto the ground and picked up his dropped gun. He squarely looked at his target before he fired. "I'm coming to you." _

_By now, the event hall was empty of guests. The Black Widow meandered through the mess she caused until she heard footsteps running towards her. In the distance, she could see Barton with his disheveled tux. "You all right?"_

"_Yeah. Nothing I couldn't handle." She ripped last of the lace off her sleeves. _

_A wave of relief washed over her to see that he was all right. She walked towards her partner until she felt a sting from her right shoulder. A bullet whizzed past her and everything went into slow motion. Barton ran towards her, as she dropped to the ground. A shocked look came across her face at the sudden realization that she was hit. _

_Her hand reached along her back and pulled out the needle. The metallic piece rolled away from her, as she saw Barton come to her side. "Talk to me, Tash." He fired another round at the unknown. _

"_I'm just catching my breath," she hid the panic in her voice. _

_He turned her over, but found no entry wound except for some bruises. "Are you sure?"_

"_Yeah." She slowly got up on her feet, but deep down, she knew Alexei wouldn't let her go that easily. She kept her secret hidden from Clint and knew it would haunt her._

_**~End of Flashback~**_

* * *

Her eyes picked at the changing waters as waves lapped against the shoreline. "Where do we go from here?"

He pulled out a velvet box from his leather jacket. "I was supposed to give you this. Back in Mumbai, but I never got a chance until now."

"Clint, you know that…"

"Just take it." He shoved the box in front of her and held it.

She looked at the innocent object. She knew their lives were finite and that on any given day, one of them could be killed. They both tested that theory a year ago on two separate occasions.

"I know you said it once before. You don't have to say it again."

In the darkness, the silver chain caught the moonlight. "I don't know what to say." She pulled the lightweight silver into her hands.

He took the silver chain into his hands and clasped it around her neck. "No matter what, you've been the best thing for me."

She crushed her lips against his as they stood under the veil of stars. Her emerald eyes flashed open into his stormy gray eyes. The minutes slipped into hours, as somehow they both ended back to their apartment.

They made up for the lost time, since Clint spent his time recuperating in the west coast. Under the tangle of sheets, she stole glances at him as he slept. She saw months of torment etched on his harden features. Her eyes then wandered over to his left arm. The scars were visible from the two surgeries he had to repair the nerve damage. Absentmindedly, she fiddled with the chain around her neck. It was his promise to her. "I love you too," she whispered into his ear.

A small grin appeared on his face. "I knew it," he muttered in his sleep talk as he shifted towards her voice.

She tucked herself closer to him and took in the moment.

* * *

**It was a great run again. Thanks for sticking by me on this short story. The flashbacks here were meant to link part their backstory mixed with the interim time post-shawarma. Hopefully, I didn't mean to confuse anyone. **

**Thank you to the following reviewers: anteffy1, ArabianForest, avngstories, Brandi Golightly, clintashavenersdoctorwhofun52, CrystalShardsofRain, DanAlaya, DBT the awesome, discordchick, IcarusOwl, Lollypops101, Pepperoni Zebra, Precious93, and TheNaggingCube.**

**Thank you to those who have added this story to their fave lists or story alerts. You all rock and thank you so much for taking the time to read. Thank you to: ASDF Rainbow Ninja, AbbyRose17, Acacia118, AllMyLifes, Ashlinka, Athena Writer 24601, Aurora Reinette, BettyBackInTheDay, Black Betty, BloodyShow, BluAugust, Born in the wrong generation, Brandi Golightly, Clintasha101, ConstiAnne, DBT the awesome, DanAlaya, Doggielilly, Everliss the wolf, EvilTheTwins, HardyGirl528491, Hatake Kai, Horror Wynter, IaMcHrIsSi, Infaredfield, Lillehafrue, Lollypops101, Maxiekat, MissSpasticEnthuseastic, Natasha Barton 13, NCISRookie33, Nightsong014, Okichi, Pepperoni Zebra, Precious93, RemiSparklez, Sabsi13, TheNaggingCube, WelshJuliet, Wren Wolfe, angelgirl116, anteffy1, ashe140, babybosn, blindhuntress, cherry1122, coolgal13, crystalbladedragon, discordchick, dominoharvey, doodlebug9830, ecrooked24, evershort, hawk1222, iiWonderwomenii, jaguar24, kekavicky, latenightreader93, likealightbulb, misshotwolf, onegiraffe, pattycake1971, potterislife21122, purplestarr59, race2win, raisingwerewolves, sibunagirl-0331, and tarpeach1981. **

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**Until next time,**

**Waterlilies **


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